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Post by scallop on Sept 19, 2024 17:13:48 GMT
Such loyalty in the face of adversity was almost, untrustworthy. if this child wasn't as forthright as he was, Grodd would consider such a move, a clear trap. But here the universe had offered him up a golden opportunity, a youth with incredible powers, and that place of origin, that could not be a lie. Despite the illusions, tricks and powers, this was not a child that would deceive him. Rather, it was a mighty task to lie to someone of such magnitude as himself.
But Mr Storm here was a persistent little fire bird, and sooner or later, he was going to reach a temperature he would not be prepared to deal with. But to deny himself such a catch here. To harness the powers of the sun, maybe even in the palm of ones hand, if he could just understand the cosmic makeup of Johnny Storm, it would not be impossible to replicate such results. That was right, one last strike, then retreat would be the wise decision.
There.
Caution to the wind, his mind expanded out, enrapturing and engulfing the minds of a murder of crows, ones pecking at the remains of panicked tourists. The murder would come violently towards Johnny in a vicious arc, beaks and talons flashing, regardless of the effect the flames would have on them, aiming to either cause him to dodge, or flame off just long enough for one of them to get a shred of DNA. Grodd himself, could not stick around.
Hands planted on the ground, he began to dash towards the wall of the zoo. Once he got over that, his escape would be certain. After all, he always had an escape route.
"Sun Nao, search the truth for yourself. You shall see the oppression that the hominids push unto us, and how we ourselves, must become the saviors to those forced into servitude."
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Post by Bixir on Sept 19, 2024 18:57:29 GMT
The call was sent later than may have been prudent. The Human Torch's efforts against Gorilla Grodd quickly took a turn for the worse. He needed help, and quickly. The closest available member was a couple states over, who had just seen to a wildfire. They could get there faster than any teleporter... and it was a good opportunity for the two of them to work together. There was some ken there, of a sort. That ken quickly manifested upon the Justice Leaguer's arrival. A wild barrage of controlled air blasted Johnny from the side. While he may have been buffeted by it, the ice that had been sprayed over him was sent to the four winds, no longer dampening his person. So too were the crows that had just been sent after Johnny. The birds were scattered far and wide. None of them had gotten close enough to Johnny to carry out Grodd's bidding, struck completely dumb by the newly arrived hero. Any hold that Grodd had over them quickly faded, and they flew away from the zoo, wanting nothing more to do with this scene.  In the next second, the origin of that wind was by Johnny's side. They were a limber humanoid, shrouded in a billowing cloak that was constantly moving about as a result of the air emanating from their person. Their head was within an enclosed helmet, a glass-like globe-mask that depicted a facsimile of a human expression. The expression was even, then when they looked down at Johnny, it turned into a smile, not unlike an emoticon. They offered a hand down for Johnny to take, then suddenly, they adjusted their other arm, and a significant burst of wind from underneath Johnny propped him to his feet instead. "Are you alright, Human Torch? I am Pilgrim. Oracle informed me that you required assistance." |
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Post by Beriadan on Sept 19, 2024 19:13:34 GMT
It was a close call. Johnny had been against the wall when the wind picked up, scattering both the slush and the birds away from him. Pilgrim, as he called himself, had saved his ass at the last second, and Johnny gave him a grateful nod as he was swept back to his feet.
"Geeze, talk about the nick of time. Thanks, Pilgrim, nice to meet you. Who knew a trip to the zoo would be such a pain?"
Grodd was fleeing, already on the other side of the zoo. Johnny knew the ape would have more tricks up his sleeve, and with Sun Nao
"We need to try and cut Grodd off before he can escape. If he gets over the wall, then he's gone! Try and cut him off... I'll stall the kid. He's a real pain in the ass."
Johnny rose into the air, aiming for the Sun Nao riding on the cloud. He hoped that he could give Pilgrim the few seconds he needed to get to the gorilla. Johnny had some words for the kid.
"I hope you know what side you've picked, Sun Nao! Flame on!"
Johnny released a wall of flames that would encircle the cloud. Hot enough to make the kid sweat, trapping them inside the firey sphere. Somewhere there was a real Sun Nao, and if he was able to throw more clones to stop Pilgrim, then Grodd might actually get away.
"You and I can have a long talk animal ethics after the Justice League have stopped this legitimate criminal!"
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Post by DornKoon on Sept 19, 2024 20:01:58 GMT
The Sun Nao on the cloud sat down as Torch rose, watching him with his legs crossed, the tail slowly moving from side to side, staff leaning against his shoulder—the arrival of whoever that was had been unexpected... and a little annoying.
"Not picked a side yet," the boy replied, brow furrowed. He watched the sphere of fire, and for a moment, his muscles tensed, but then he just sighed and sat back down, reshaping the cloud to lean against. "As you wish, I'll just... hang around." This was not aimed at Torch but a communication from his original. The real Nao could have gotten out of this big ball of fire, but the clone... not so much. "I did not know you joined the League; I wondered if you had retired after the Fantastic Four split." Sun Nao continued talking from inside the sphere. "We do like a good scrap, but it's not fun when the opponent's heart is not in it."
Meanwhile...
Sun Nao had given Grodd a few seconds, even if the arrival of Pilgrim was unexpected. The young demigod had left Torch to be the last clone for the time being, and he had taken the opportunity to find more lost monkeys hiding in the bushes. Each time he found some, he would send them to his room at the Sanctum. Thankfully, the chaos in the zoo was enough for him to do this unnoticed, and still being in civilian clothes helped a lot not to stand out.
"I intend to do just that," he replied to Grodd, feeling there was truth to be found in all this, and at the moment, he did not trust either Grodd or Torch to provide the truth he desired. "I don't know who that metal armour thing is, but if you have an ace up your sleeve... you might want to use it." Sun Nao meant what he said; he had given Grodd a few seconds.
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Post by scallop on Sept 20, 2024 2:23:31 GMT
This was getting out of hand. Just when he had the chance to pluck a genetic specimen, did another do-gooder arrive on the scene. The arrival of backup was somewhat flattering, but it was marred by the very fact that this Sun Nao had chosen his side to back in this little encounter they had all entered into. But he had no data on the new arrival, rather, their very essence already seemed to be a perfect disruption for him. Their combined simian souls could be a good match up here, but the threat of the Raft was all too real here.
It appeared it was time to make like a banana, and split.
"I hate to run before dessert, but it appears you've decided to call your parents on me, Mister Storm." his voice echoed throughout their minds, his mind was reaching, he was doing something, they would feel that psychic call, the signal echoing through the two of them. "But, I look forward to my next encounter with the League. And I trust, like myself, you will not be as ill prepared."
It would come over them like a wave. At first, a horrendous sense of vertigo, as a wave of psychic energy hit both Johnny and Pilgrim. But this wasn't just a stun attack. Both of them would suddenly start to feel an intense form of double vision. What it was, was that Grodd had very crudely connected their minds, but only allowing them to forcibly share their senses. They would both be hit by a serious sense of disorientation, as he leapt, pushing himself forward with his forearms to make the leap over the wall.
As he did, Sun Nao would receive a parting message.
"You have my thanks Sun Nao, and I hope that you may one day join me with the might of the Simians."
He disappeared over the wall, and into what one could only describe as a crudely designed hunk of junk that resembled something that the Gorilla may or may not be constructing within a swamp. As he made contact, the machine encapsulated him, before vanishing. Merely a cloaking device, before it shot off, taking off as fast as it possibly could go. Gorilla Grodd had sewn chaos, and now he could take his leave.
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Post by Bixir on Sept 21, 2024 5:32:52 GMT
Pilgrim had heard of these zoos. Or rather, in her time on Earth she had not yet been to a zoo. She had heard plenty about them, and what she had heard was quite upsetting. Treating animals in this way, caged up for entertainment, or worse... it reminded her too much of where she had come from. There would be time to ruminate on that later. She quickly zeroed in on... well, the massive gorilla making its way over the wall like an ordinary human, yet also like a gorilla. Pilgrim did not know much of that animal, but she knew enough that such a thing was to be taken note of... and that the culprit to this scene was named Gorilla Grodd. Pilgrim was not always the most observant of the Justice League's members, but she was not so dim-witted as to miss... that. She would not give this up for the universe.
Before she had a chance to pursue the gorilla, though, the world swam for the Vellian. Her surroundings became waves of colors, layered upon one another as they crashed into the periphery of Pilgrim's helmet. The sensation itself was overwhelming, though to experience it through the filter of her equipment intensified the experience manifold. Pilgrim nearly doubled over with nausea. By the time she raised her head to its proper height, she could no longer sense Grodd's presence, behind the wall or otherwise. This was a powerful opponent indeed, if he had inflicted that... Pilgrim was not sure what that was, but he had done it to everyone else in the vicinity, it seemed. She would be sure to include this in her report.
"Human... Torch. Are you- alright?"
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Post by Beriadan on Sept 22, 2024 17:12:54 GMT
The mental assault hit Johnny like a train. His flames dispersed as he was reduced back into his human form, falling to the earth with a painful slam. The sphere around Sun Nao's clone vanished. Johnny sucked air through his teeth, groaning in pain.
"Uuugh... that - that smarts."
He picked himself up, gritting his teeth as he rubbed both his bruised head and ego. What was with kids these days? Johnny looked across at Pilgrim, and saw she was suffering the same. Grodd must be a strong telepath if he could strike them both at the same time.
"Yeah, yeah. I'm alright. Gonna have one hell of a headache after this. What about you?"
He frowned, feeling the delayed throb of a headache creeping into his skull. Then Johnny looked around, a flash of anger on his face.
"Where's that kid? Sun Nao... he's in some trouble. I don't think he's working with that gorilla, but he's definitely gonna have to answer for obstructing us. Hey, Oracle, you got any information about him? I can't believe there's someone that powerful wandering around without anyone having tabs on them..."
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Post by DornKoon on Sept 22, 2024 17:56:03 GMT
He ignored Grodd's words and watched as the Gorilla leapt over the wall and took off in a crudely designed craft. It did not matter that it was cloaked; he knew where it was, and for a moment, his eyes were glowing, and a small circle of magic appeared around one of his fingers before he sighed. It looked like he could escape, so now it was just a matter of dealing with...
"I'm not," Was the answer as Sun Nao came walking, having just dropped the last of the monkeys off; at first glance, he looked like a regular Chinese kid, as he was not wearing the regalia of his clones at the moment. But, something about him was protected, even if that would not affect these two, the charm his grandmother made so that those who knew him would not recognize that he was Sun Nao. Grandma had explained it similarly to how Cinderella's stepfamily did not realise it was her at the ball.
"I already told you who I am. I'm Sun Nao, son of Sun Wukong." His gaze slowly shifted between Torch and Pilgrim. The boy did not appear armed or actively trying to attack them. "Thanks for calling me powerful; that's so nice of you to say." He seemed to have not listened to the other parts or actively chose to ignore them. The clone dropped, landing next to him as its cloud vanished.
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Post by Bixir on Sept 28, 2024 7:12:49 GMT
Pilgrim thought to answer the Human Torch's inquiry, though the matter of this child standing before them demanded her attention first. SHe apprised the boy and his... clones? That had not been a miscalculation, on herself or her instruments. Even now, the way this Sun Nao moved, spoke - his aura was not like any ordinary boy. In fact, it appeared much more similar to the colors of the monkeys about him, before and now. That he introduced himself in such a manner... Pilgrim moved her head to the side, then back.
The symbol of the Justice League shield blipped onto the surface of her helmet, evident to Sun Nao. "Hello. My name is Pilgrim, and I represent the Justice League. As does the Human Torch. May I ask what you were doing here?"
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Post by Beriadan on Sept 28, 2024 11:06:59 GMT
"Hey, listen-"
Johnny stopped as Pilgrim interjected, shutting up quickly and smartly. He crossed his arms, frowning, then took a deep breath as Sue always told him to do.
"Right. Kid - Sun Nao - I'm sorry if you thought I was gonna hurt those gorillas. I've been told I can come across... hot headed."
Johnny looked towards Pilgrim. She was calm enough in the presence of this boy, so he felt relaxed as well. It was a misunderstanding. One that had consequences, but not one that could hold Sun Nao accountable for. What else could he add? The ball was in the kid's court.
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Post by DornKoon on Sept 29, 2024 9:00:45 GMT
Sun Nao was ready for it to turn into a fight, so when neither of them did, it slightly caused the wind to fall off his sails. He opened his mouth and closed it before letting out a sound like a groan and turning away, muttering in Mandarin. This had turned into a mess, and now he felt terrible. "A circus..." he finally decided to reply to the armoured hero, turning back to look at them. "I came here looking for a circus, carnival thing. It was last seen here and vanished before we could get to it. The supreme witch sensed something wrong about it in another part of the country, but before they could investigate, the circus vanished." He looked from Pilgrim to Johnny. "But there has been some seriously dark mojo here, like... uhm..." He tried to think of a way to explain to them, as they did not appear the magic kind of heroes. "Like the slime left behind by a slug..."
With that answered, he took a deep breath and looked to Torch. He was struggling with two opposing forces: how his mother raised him and the stubbornness of his divine blood.
"I can-- be hot-headed too. I've got it from my father. The monkey king is not famous for... patience." he finally replied, bowing... he could not face his grandma if he were not keeping to form. "I'm..." He paused, hesitating. "Father, damn it..." Say sorry! It's not that hard! He just needed two words, maybe just one! He would not even need the I'm... "It just... made sense, what Grodd said to me, not the taking over the world part, that was a little off-putting, but the rest..." He shook his head. "I can't do this; I'm going to make it right somehow; I just need... to think." With that, the boy took a few steps backwards as a circle of magic appeared in the air; they would recognize it as very similar to the magic used by Doctor Strange.
Sun Nao would step into the circle and vanish unless he were stopped.
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Post by Bixir on Nov 8, 2024 18:57:01 GMT
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